


I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight

by Janie94



Series: Tale As Old As Time [1]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Tragedy, Battle, M/M, Robert as the personification of the Moon, Thomas as the personification of the Sun, warriors - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 22:03:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15715971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94
Summary: The general of the Moon Warriors had always been a force to be reckoned with but tonight he was a force of nature, slaughtering his enemies left and right without any care for himself, without mercy, without sympathy. Like a curse unleashed. And it was all Manuel’s fault…





	I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> This work is unbetaed, so please forgive me for any mistakes.  
> Just when I thought that I was running out of inspiration to write for this fadom, I woke up with this idea clear in my head. I can only hope that you will like it.

**Tale As Old As Time I**

**I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight**

 

The sound of clashing swords had become a background noise to Manuel by now. The fight had been going on for hours and his men were about to lose. He should have seen this attack coming after what he had done, but he had not expected their enemy to come with all they got. It seemed like all the Moon Warriors had gathered to avenge the loss of one man.

Manuel’s eyes drifted to the middle of the valley where the two armies were fighting, the Sun Warriors trapped in a circle of their enemies. And there, at the front line he was; Manuel’s pendant – the other end of the scale.

Mats’ hair was dark where Manuel’s was light, his eyes were intimidating in their rage where Manuel’s were open. The general of the Moon Warriors had always been a force to be reckoned with but tonight he was a force of nature, slaughtering his enemies left and right without any care for himself, without mercy, without sympathy. He was advancing further and further, men falling onto their feet as he made his way towards the Sun Warriors. Like a curse unleashed.

And it was all Manuel’s fault…

 

_Dark blood was covering his garments from head to toe, the life essence of a dozen men dripping from the blade of his sword. When the sun had risen this morning, he had thrust his weapon into the air and made a grand speech about courage and honour, his own face reflecting in the polished silver blade but now it was too stained to reflect even the light of the sun. Today he had sent so many souls into the abyss to get reborn again that he was struggling to stay on his feet, his knees trembling from exhaustion. But he couldn’t afford to retreat, not now when they were closer to victory than they had been in years. Their numbers were thrice those of their enemy, as was evident by the bright blue sky above them. It had been daytime for several hundreds of hours now, the light of the sun giving Manuel and his warriors the strength to keep going while the Moon Warriors were getting weaker and weaker._

_The victory of this battle was within their reach._

_Manuel made his way towards the leader of the enemy group; a beautiful, young soul that had probably been reborn less than half the times Manuel had. The general remembered this man from the festive days during their last years of truce. Sven had been kind and polite to the Sun Warriors but he had stayed close to his superior’s side during the entire day and it had taken Manuel longer than it should have to realize the reason. Only late at night when the night sky had been illuminated by fireworks and city lights, had Manuel found out the reason. He had been on his way to his chambers when he had almost run into Sven and Mats in an intimate embrace under the city’s gate…_

_Manuel shoved the memory away fiercely. He didn’t want to be reminded of happier times, or that he and Sven had already drunken from the same goblet and shared laughter together. Those times were gone and only one of them would walk away from this battle alive, the other one’s soul would be reborn again. Hopefully they would meet again in the next life._

_It barely took another minute until the two leaders finally faced each other. Sven had gained some muscle since the two had last met and the look in his eyes had become more callous but there was still a flash of recognition as he regarded Manuel._

_“Leader of the Sun, I challenge you to a one-on-one combat. The one who walks away winning will have won this battle for his people.”_

_The words were familiar to Manuel who had fought in more of these ritual duels than he could count in all his lives. “I accept your challenge. May my God, the Sun, be witness to an honourable battle.”_

_In response to his words the sunlight became stronger, the warm rays engulfing Manuel affectionately while Sven raised one arm above his eyes to shield them from the brightness._

_Manuel shivered as he felt the caress of his God that made his skin tingle and he could almost hear the latter’s voice in his ear. “Fight for me and win this battle. I know you can put an end to this. Let our men come home.”_

_Then the sunlight returned to normal, setting Manuel free. He cleared his mind and watched silently as Sven straightened. “And may my God, the Moon, also be witness to an honourable battle.”_

_The sky above them darkened rapidly and Manuel shivered instinctively. Due to the imbalance of numbers n Sun and Moon Warriors, it didn’t quite become night but suddenly the sun’ light seemed to hide behind a dark vail, replaced by the silver light of the moon shining down upon them. Sven’s eyes closed and he relaxed slightly as he most likely heard and felt the encouragement of his own God. After a few seconds the vail dropped and it was daytime again, the sun shining down upon them and filling Manuel with his strength. But the moon had not vanished, he was still there in the sky though he was pale and weak now._

_Manuel had the territorial advantage here and he hoped it would be enough to cover his exhaustion._

_And finally the fight began. The circle of warriors around them was big enough for the two enemies to move and dodge without having to worry about anyone getting injured. But it also became apparent that Sven was fitter at the moment because he moved faster than Manuel, quick to dash and retreat right after. He must have planned to fight Manuel all along and he had clearly saved his energy._

_Manuel winced in pain when Sven’s sword slashed against his calf but fortunately no muscle had been hit. Still Manuel’s knee buckled and suddenly Sven was above him, putting all his strength into his strokes that the latter tried to block with his shield. His arm was throbbing with pain as he tried to keep his opponent at bay and he was starting to slip, Sven’s sword occasionally hitting the armour protecting his chest and stomach. It was stupid to get distracted now of all times but Manuel couldn’t fight it, his eyes briefly straying towards one of the men watching the battle._

_Thiago’s eyes were wide with fear and worry, his shoulders tense as he tried to stay still and not interfere. Manuel had to admire him, he wasn’t sure if he had the same amount of self-control if their roles were reversed and it was Thiago lying on the ground at his opponent’s feet._

_He and Thiago had never met before this life and when Manuel had first set eyes on him four decades ago, he had known all along that this was the soul he had been searching for his entire existence. They belonged together and the thought of losing him to perhaps never find him again in their next lives was tearing Manuel apart._

_‘Til death do us part.’_

_They had made this promise only moments before their bodies had united for the very first time, before they had formed a bond for a lifetime. Had this day already come so soon? They had been convinced they would get to live for several centuries and now it was all supposed to be over?_

_Manuel tore his gaze away from the smaller warrior, just when Sven had managed to knock the shield out of his hand. Sven raised his sword high above his head for what was supposed to be the final blow and it left his upper body unguarded for a split-second. It all happened too quickly for Manuel to realize what he was doing, all that was on his mind was survival. He gathered all his strength and unexpectedly shot upwards with his sword arm. He had been aiming for the spot where the chest plate met the one protecting Sven’s stomach, intending to find the small gap between and pierce his opponent’s heart but his aim was off._

_There was a screeching sound as the tip of his blade slipped along the hard chest plate. Manuel screamed in pain when Sven’s sword dove into his shoulder but he was distracted by the shocked gasps of the people around them._

_Manuel sank back onto the ground but he opened his eyes to see what was going on but the sight awaiting him knocked the breath out of his lungs. Sven was still straddling him but he had let go of his sword that was still piercing Manuel’s shoulder. Instead the Moon Warrior's face was downcast, staring at the spot where Manuel had just hit him. The older one’s eyes widened in horror when he realized what he had done; what crime he had committed._

_Manuel might have missed Sven’s heart, but as the blade had skidded upwards from the force of his blow, it had cut open the artery on Sven’s throat. Warm, crimson blood was oozing out of the wound but it wasn’t what had Manuel, Sven or the people around them in a state of shock._

_Sven’s hand came up to touch the wound as though he could stop the blood that was raining down on Manuel before moving towards the mark at the centre of his throat. The black symbol in the form of a crescent moon was cut in two by the red line of the wound._

_The holy symbol of the Moon was broken._

_Sven’s eyes widened as he realized what this meant and he tried to speak but all that he managed to get out was a gurgling sound before he fell to the side. Manuel caught him instantly, his own hand covering the symbol as though he could make this right again. But this damage could not be undone._

_“I’m so sorry,” Manuel whispered in a hoarse voice, too shocked to cry yet. “I didn’t mean to…”_

_But Sven’s eyes held no contempt as he clutched Manuel’s hand, fighting to form coherent words. “Tell ‘im… I love ‘im…Always.”_

_“No,” Manuel whispered when Sven’s body went limp in his arms. “Don’t go, please!”_

_But it was no use. There was a shimmer of silver in Sven’s eyes as his soul left its dying body before they became dull and empty. The soul seemed to float in the air between the two men for a moment, torn between leaving and staying. Then it slowly rose higher in the sky where it eventually dissolved into nothing._

_Manuel was shaking, his mind desperate to reject the cruel reality of what he had done. It was common to destroy an opponent’s body because they would be reborn again by their God. But by destroying the holy symbol on Sven’s neck Manuel had severed the warrior’s connection with the moon._

_Sven had not only died. His soul had perished forever._

_Manuel’s eyes were stinging with unshed tears as he clutched the dead body in his arms tighter, remorse and grief tearing at his heart. Sven had been far too young to die, let alone cease to exist. He was barely aware of the whispering and hushed voices around him, the only one he could focus on was Thiago._

_He looked every bit as horrified as Manuel felt but not repelled. Instead he stepped forward and sank down beside his lover. “It’s not your fault, Manu.”_

_“I killed him!” Manuel argued instantly._

_“What you did was self-defence,” Thiago soothed him, his calm voice standing in stark contrast to the shock in his eyes. “We all know you didn’t mean to destroy Sven’s soul. It was a horrible accident.”_

_Manuel tried to believe him, he really did. But he couldn’t shake off the guilt completely. If he had just let Sven kill him, none of this would have happened. Manuel would have died and been reborn like many times before._

_His attention was suddenly drawn to the sky. Dark clouds had appeared to hide the sun from their eyes and flashes of lightning were illuminating the battleground. Night had overtaken day, the moon shining in its cold, silver light. No one could blame it._

_Manuel flinched when three lightning bolts hit the ground right in front of him, his eyes momentarily turning blind. When he was finally able to see again, a human form was standing there and looking down at him with blazing eyes._

_The man was wearing a long, silver garment that covered him from his shoulders to his wrists, from his chest down to his ankles. The fabric was so silky that it looked like molten silver threads but at the same time it was so thin one could easily make out the contours of the body underneath. Manuel caught a brief glimpse of pale, naked feet and long, slender fingers before his gaze was inevitably drawn to the man’s face._

_The Sun Warrior had never seen the Moon’s corporal form before and he had been convinced, nothing could ever rival the strange beauty of the Sun. Their god was not beautiful in the traditional sense but kind and with a warm heart. And when he smiled, it seemed to light up the entire universe._

_The Moon was the complete opposite but he was no less beautiful. He was graceful and elegant, his body shimmering silver where the Sun’s was shimmering golden – an aura of coldness surrounding him. Piercing blue eyes were watching Manuel warily and the warrior felt his heartbeat quicken in response to the attention these eyes made of the hardest ice were gifting him with._

_The Moon’s voice was much softer than Manuel had expected. “A tragedy has occurred in the light of day. A soul has left us forever.”_

_The Moon bent down and for a moment Manuel feared he was going to grab the warrior and kill him with his touch but instead the deity scooped up Sven’s lifeless body into his arms. The Moon’s eyes were full of mourning as he regarded Sven for a long moment. Then he slowly turned his gaze towards the two Sun Warriors. “Go home. This is the time to mourn, not to fight. Spend your time wisely because before the night has ended, you will be on the battlefield again.”_

_His words might sound like a threat but Manuel instantly realized they were anything but. The Moon would mourn the loss of their warrior’s soul and to mourn them, it would have to be night. And no one could tell how long this night would last. Ten hours, a hundred hours, a thousand hours?_

_The Moon turned away from them and suddenly Manuel was able to breathe again. It would probably be wiser to keep quiet but he could not help asking. “Aren’t you going to punish me? What I did was an unforgivable crime after all.”_

_The Moon turned back towards him and there was a sparkle of regret in his eyes. “You will be punished but it is upon me to do it. You shattered something that was whole and you should be prepared for the shards to come raining down on you.”_

Manuel was jolted out of his memory by a body hitting his side and making him stumble. The path between him and Mats was blocked by too many warriors to get through but Manuel could still see him clearly. He had separated from the group he was leading, making his way up the other side of the hill, away from Manuel. The blond frowned in confusion as he failed to catch on.

When the Moon had warned him of the shards raining down on him, he had fully expected Mats to come to him and ask for revenge. But why was the latter not fighting his way through to Manuel then?

“Manu!” Javi’s scream made him turn his head. His long-time friend’s eyes were wide with fear as he started slashing his way through their opponents with uncharacteristic violence. But even though he had just called Manuel’s name, he too was not making his way towards the blond but following the direction Mats was taking.

“Javi, what is going on here?” he shouted after the younger man.

The answer made his blood freeze. “Don’t you understand? It’s an eye for an eye, a lover for a lover!”

“Thiago…” Manuel responded as raw fear was clawing at his heart. He sprang into action then, trying to make his way towards the other side of the valley, not caring if he actually killed his opponents or merely pushed them out of the movie. His worry for Thiago was driving him on and he managed to decrease the distance between but it was still not enough.

Manuel screamed his soulmate’s name when he could finally spot him in the midst of fighting men but he was too far away and there was too much noise. To Mats’ credit, he didn’t try to attack Thiago from behind but waited until the younger warrior had whirled around to face him before announcing the ritual words that were carrying over the battlefield as though someone had magically amplified them.

“I challenge you to a battle, Thiago, just you against me. A battle until the end.”

Thiago’s eyes flashed over the crowd until they found Manuel’s who was still several feet away. “And if I refuse?”

Mats didn’t even blink. “Then I will slay your dear lover where he stands. And I won’t care if he denies me because he has lost all the respect I ever had for him. Considering the injuries that he already has right now, he is far from his best and will not stand a chance against me. Either you fight me or he will.”

Manuel hauled his shield against the man blocking his path and he shouted on the top of his lungs. “Thiago, please don’t accept! I’m begging you!”

Deep in his heart he knew it was in vain. Thiago loved him too much not to protect him. There was a heartbeat of silence before the latter’s voice announced, “I accept your challenge. A battle of life and death.”

 

***

 

Manuel screamed when Mats’ sword came down on Thiago’s battered and bruised body for the umpteenth time, this time piercing his upper thigh. The stony ground beneath the two fighting men was already covered in red and the amount was unevenly balanced…

Thiago groaned in pain and this time he was slow to get back onto his feet, the blood loss showing while his opponent was waiting as motionlessly as a marble statue for him to stand up again.

It was not kindness or sympathy that was keeping Mats from delivering the final blow, it was his thirst for revenge.

Because this was torture. For Thiago who could barely stand on his own two feet any longer and probably wished that things would just come to an end. And Manuel who was forced to watch helplessly as his lover was losing the fight for his life.

Mats advanced again when Thiago was raising his sword, the taller one’s blows so fast and forceful that Thiago was back on the ground within seconds, raising his shield above his head to protect his face.

But Mats had retreated again, now pacing impatiently up and down the circle. “Stand up and fight, Thiago. Your soul deserves to go out fighting.”

Manuel shook his head, not sure if he was trying to shake Mats’ words off or wanting Thiago to defy him and stay on the ground. But his lover didn’t do him the favour. Thiago pushed the shield away from his body and raised himself enough that he was in a somewhat kneeling position.

His voice was hoarse with pain. “It’s over, we both know that. Please Mats, just kill me.”

Manuel was unable to contain a whimper and he tried to surge forward into the circle. But of course the men around him had already suspected as much. Two Moon Warriors whose names he remembered as Niklas and Xabi, were grabbing him by his midsection and hauling him backwards.

Mats’ eyes flashed with several emotions too hard to decipher before he eventually stepped closer, dropping down onto his knees before Thiago. “I know it sounds ridiculous and it is probably the last thing you want to hear right now. But it doesn’t bring me joy to do this.”

“I know,” Thiago responded after a moment of collecting himself. “But neither will it bring you peace. I understand your need for revenge but it will not bring your lover back. You need to let go of your pain and move on. And I really hope that killing me will help you to do that.”

Mats raised his hand to grip Thiago’s neck, leaning their foreheads together. “I hope you will find him again in your next life.”

And then he finally pushed his sword into Thiago’s chest. The Sun Warrior gasped in surprise and Manuel did the same. They and probably everyone else had expected Mats to break the Holy symbol of the Sun on the warrior’s neck and destroy his soul like Manuel had destroyed Sven’s.

Still, the pain was tearing Manuel apart. Niklas and Xabi had let him go and he instantly surged forward towards his lover’s dead body. Mats silently made way for him but Manuel paid him no mind, cupping Thiago’s face for one last time. There was a golden shimmer in his brown eyes before his soul left the broken body and rose into the sky.

What followed was deadly silence as hundreds of eyes watched the golden thread’s ascent towards the sun that seemed to shine even brighter for a moment, swallowing the golden soul.

Thiago was gone.

Manuel wasn’t aware of sinking to his knees but suddenly he was on the ground with tears brimming in his eyes. A hand came up to his shoulder from the side and he didn’t have to look to know who it was. Part of Manuel anted to shrug it off but he found himself unable to turn away this man who was offering him comfort now.

Even hours later when the warriors had long returned to their homes, the two men were still standing side by side and mourning the loss of their lovers.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Our Souls Are All We Own](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19264081) by [Janie94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94)




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